The Davis Enterprise

By Lauren Keene

September 14, 2014 |

WOODLAND — A clinical psychologist who evaluated accused killer Daniel Marsh found the teenager “overplayed” his reaction to the antidepressant medications he was taking around the time of his alleged crime, possibly in preparation for his insanity defense at trial. Dr. James Rokop testified in Yolo Superior Court on Friday that Marsh, who changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity in June, had discussed the defense tactic with others at Juvenile Hall as long ago as September 2013.

During six hours of interviews with Rokop that took place over a two-day period last month, Marsh, 17, disclosed that he felt no change after recently being weaned off anti-anxiety medications, but then halted the conversation to emphasize that he “feels way different being off antidepressants,” according to Rokop.

“I felt that was a little bit overplayed on his part … pushing the NGI defense in the interview, suggesting that everything was related to medications and that he felt so much better not taking them,” Rokop added, noting that Marsh still showed signs of being depressed and homicidal “while trying to convince me that he wasn’t having these urges.”

Marsh’s defense has revolved around the antidepressant and mood-stabilizing drugs he was taking between January and April 2013, when Oliver “Chip” Northup, 87, and his wife Claudia Maupin, 76, were fatally stabbed in their Cowell Boulevard condominium on the early morning of April 14. Marsh is being tried as an adult on two counts of murder with special circumstances.

Deputy Public Defender Ron Johnson has said the medications succeeded only in worsening Marsh’s mental illness, resulting in uncontrollable homicidal urges that his doctors and therapists failed to recognize or treat.

But Rokop said Friday those claims are inconsistent with reports that Marsh’s severe depression and school performance seemed to improve after he began taking the medications, according to the doctors and Davis High School educators who regularly interacted with him.

Crime recalled

Still, Marsh continued to have recurrent thoughts of torture and death, several witnesses testified in court last week, though Rokop said he perceived those visions to be images Marsh had seen on the Internet websites he frequented as opposed to “legitimate” hallucinations.

The teen also shared his world view that the people around him were “cockroaches and parasites” and that “everyone deserved to die, except for children,” Rokop said. He said he had admired and studied serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, at one point stealing a ski mask from Big 5 “with the idea that someday he would commit a murder.”

He cast blame on Northup and Maupin for their deaths, referring to them as “stupid Davis people” for leaving a window open for him to sneak through, according to Rokop, who recalled Marsh’s description of the attack in chilling and graphic terms that brought family members in the courtroom to tears.

As he left the crime scene, “he couldn’t stop smiling and laughing and saying, ‘I’m a murderer,’ ” inflicting two slashes on his arm — one for each victim — as a reminder of what he had done, Rokop said.

Marsh’s father lived two doors down from the slain couple, and although he did not target them for that reason, “he did take satisfaction that it did scare his father and sister that a crime had been committed so close,” Rokop said.

The killings gave Marsh an emotional high that lasted a few days, “and then he got the urge to do it again,” Rokop said. He said Marsh went out two more nights — once armed with a baseball bat, once with a knife — in search of victims, at one point getting within 10 feet of a woman before he noticed a group of kids nearby, so “he decided not to pursue it.”

However, Marsh did say he killed several cats after the murders, which along with earlier killings of a raccoon and a vulture he attributed to the medication side-effects. But Rokop noted that Marsh’s records indicate he had also killed birds as long ago as 2006, indicating he had violent ideations prior to taking the drugs.

Rokop also expressed skepticism in Marsh’s statement that he “didn’t recall” whether he had smoked marijuana on the day of the crime, even though he had reported using it as much as several times a day. “You wouldn’t expect that pattern to suddenly discontinue,” he said.

Police arrested Marsh in June 2013 after two friends he confided in about his crime reported him to police, an act that Rokop said surprised Marsh because he thought they were “OK with it.” He also said Marsh seemed “taken aback” when asked why he hid evidence of the crime at his own home, inside his mother’s garage.

“There’s no way the police would think a 15-year-old would do something like this,” Marsh replied, referring to his age at the time of the murders.

Rokop concluded by saying he diagnosed Marsh with major depressive disorder, conduct disorder — a precursor to antisocial personality disorder, which is a diagnosis limited to adults — and sexual sadism, based on the teen’s reports of feeling aroused when exposed to images of pain and torture.

Witness challenged

Deputy Public Defender Ron Johnson got partway into his cross-examination of Rokop on Friday before court adjourned for the weekend.

During that time, Johnson posed questions suggesting it wouldn’t have been unusual for Marsh to discuss possible defenses last fall because he was well into the court process at that point, and that a previous interview with another psychologist gave him insight into what had triggered his alleged crime.

“He’s probably relieved at that revelation and wants to share it with you,” Johnson said, to which Rokop replied: “I believe that he knew what was going on with him for a long time.”

The trial resumes Monday with Rokop’s continued cross-examination. Judge David Reed informed the jury that the guilt phase of the case could be in their hands by the week of Sept. 22.

If Marsh is convicted, the trial moves to a second phase where jurors must determine whether Marsh was legally sane or insane at the time of the murders.

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene

September 29, 2014

Jurors to determine sanity in Daniel Marsh case

After reaching a unanimous guilty verdict, jurors in the Daniel Marsh case are now tasked with determining the teen’s mental state when he stabbed an elderly couple to death in their Davis home.

“You must decide whether he was legally insane when he committed the crime,” explained Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Reed on Monday.

After only two hours of deliberations last week, the four-man, eight woman jury found Marsh guilty for the murders of Oliver “Chip” Northup, 87, and his wife Claudia Maupin, 76, who were found in their Cowell Boulevard condominium the night of April 14, 2013.

The jury also agreed to the enhancements for lying in wait, torture, and use of a deadly weapon, in this case a six-inch hunting knife used to stab the victims more than 60 times each.

Marsh changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity on June 2, allowing a continuance of the long-awaited trial. Though Marsh was 15 at the time of his arrest, he is being tried as an adult.

As friends and family of the couple celebrated the verdict, Marsh, now 17, fought back his emotions — his face turning red, both eyes shut tight as one-by-one jurors agreed he was guilty of first degree murder, which requires a finding of premeditation and deliberation.

Jurors left the courtroom Friday afternoon knowing their work was unfinished.

In light of Marsh’s change in plea, the jury will hear further testimony and evidence to help determine Marsh’s mental state while committing the murders, bringing them back to what Public Defender Ron Johnson said weeks ago.

When he delivered his opening statement, Johnson told jurors not to focus on what happened the night of the murders, but why it happened, and this is the question jurors will be asking themselves for the remainder of the trial.

“Sanity is a different animal,” Johnson said during opening statements Monday, briefly reviewing the proceedings.

Deputy District Attorney Amanda Zambor also kept her opening remarks brief, thanking jurors for their time and effort in the lengthy trial.

“Heinous crime does not equal insane,” she said. “Mental illness does not equal insane.”

Although Zambor agreed Marsh had major depressive disorder, she said there is no evidence of psychosis, delusions, or a “dissociate state,” which Johnson’s defense hinged upon.

“There is no causal link between depression and whether he was capable of understanding his actions,” she said.

“He was well organized and had a specific plan on how to commit the murders.”

In particular, Zambor noted Marsh’s use of gloves and the duct-tape on the bottom of his shoes — both forensic countermeasures used to leave no trance behind for investigators to follow. He also hid the knife, cleaning it off after the crime, and decided he would use a different weapon for the next murder, to help avoid arrest.

“All those steps before hand show he knew what he was doing,” she concluded.

Moving forward with the trial, Johnson called defense expert James Merikangas, a Maryland-based neurologist and psychiatrist, who expanded on his prior testimony.

During the guilt phase of the proceedings, Merikangas told jurors Marsh was in a “dissociative” or “dream-like” state when he committed the murders, resulting from Marsh’s continued use of antidepressants.

“It is like they are floating,” he said. “They are seeing themselves doing something they cannot control. The brain is being overwhelmed by emotions, wanting to be somewhere else.”

On Monday, Merikangas reviewed an MRI scan of Marsh’s brain, pointing out abnormalities.

“It looks like a brain of someone who is more my age,” said Merikangas, who is in his late 50s. “There is too much space in the brain for a 17 year old.”

Specifically, when a person ages, they begin to lose brain cells and tissue, which shows up as dark spaces in the MRI image.

“There is a change in volume in his brain compared to a normal 17 year old,” Merikangas said.

According to Merikangas, these abnormalities could be caused by abusing alcohol and marijuana, or could result at birth. Regardless of the source, these abnormalities may have contributed to Marsh’s depression.

“People with brain abnormalities are more likely to suffer from mental illness in general,” he said. “Their brain impairs their thinking, emotions, and impulse control.”

Turning back to the antidepressants, Merikangas admitted side effects were not the “sole cause” of Marsh’s actions, but definitely made his condition worse, increasing the risk of “intrusive, violent thoughts” leading to “seething anger and feelings of hopelessness.”

Changes made in the brain by the SSRI class of antidepressants can remain for weeks and have been known to cause homicidal thoughts in patients, Merikangas said.

“It’s not a standard thing, it’s not a common thing, but it is a thing that happens,” he added. “He could not overcome the thoughts he was having. I think he felt he was doing the moral thing at the time.”

Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral declined to cross examine the witness, whom he spent hours questioning in the guilt phase of the trial.

Closing arguments will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in Department 3, after which the case will once again be in the jury’s hands.

Daniel Marsh’s medications were ineffective in treating his depression, leading to aggression, suicidal thoughts, and homicidal behavior.

Echoing Public Defender Ron Johnson’s opening statement, James Merikangas, a Maryland-based neurologist and psychiatrist said side effects from antidepressants played a significant role in the murders of Oliver ‘Chip’ Northup, 87, and Claudia Maupin, 76, who were stabbed to death in their Davis condominium in April 2013.

Marsh, 17, is charged with both murders and faces enhancements for lying in wait and torture. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on June 2, allowing a continuance of the long-awaited trial. Though Marsh was 15 at the time of his arrest, he is being tried as an adult.

Prosecutors rested their case last week, showing jurors a five-hour videotaped interview of Marsh, in which he described the details of the murders to Davis police and FBI agents.

“It was finally happening,” Marsh said in the recording. “It was like an out-of-body experience. It didn’t feel like I was there, that it was real.”

Merikangas described this “out-of-body” feeling as a dissociative episode, in which a person is not in control of their body.

Daniel Marsh’s medications were ineffective in treating his depression, leading to aggression, suicidal thoughts, and homicidal behavior.

Echoing Public Defender Ron Johnson’s opening statement, James Merikangas, a Maryland-based neurologist and psychiatrist said side effects from antidepressants played a significant role in the murders of Oliver ‘Chip’ Northup, 87, and Claudia Maupin, 76, who were stabbed to death in their Davis condominium in April 2013.

Marsh, 17, is charged with both murders and faces enhancements for lying in wait and torture. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on June 2, allowing a continuance of the long-awaited trial. Though Marsh was 15 at the time of his arrest, he is being tried as an adult.

Prosecutors rested their case last week, showing jurors a five-hour videotaped interview of Marsh, in which he described the details of the murders to Davis police and FBI agents.

“It was finally happening,” Marsh said in the recording. “It was like an out-of-body experience. It didn’t feel like I was there, that it was real.”

Merikangas described this “out-of-body” feeling as a dissociative episode, in which a person is not in control of their body.

“It is like they are floating,” he said. “They are seeing themselves doing something they cannot control.”

In reviewing Marsh’s medical records, Merikangas noted Marsh’s history of dissociative episodes, which he further described as “intrusive thoughts” Marsh could not control, similar to compulsions.

When Marsh entered the couple’s home, stabbing them in their sleep, it was “a release of that agonizing pressure, pressure that he complained about for years,” Merikangas said. He attributed Marsh’s euphoric state to this effect following the murders.

In reviewing medical records, Merikangas agreed with an earlier diagnosis of depression, which led to Marsh’s anorexia, anxiety, and other issues. Depression, according to Merikangas, is “a condition that tends to get better with time” and medications are not always necessary.

“Most depression tends to get better, but there needs to be some form of intervention,” Merikangas said. “Some get better, some get treatment, and some kill themselves.”

Throughout his testimony, Merikangas spoke to the negligence of numerous therapists and physicians, who should have taken Marsh off of Prozac, a medication he rarely prescribes himself.

“I’ve had patients who after one tablet of Prozac had to be hospitalized,” he said before describing the overall ineffectiveness of the drug, which is still the most widely prescribed antidepressant in the U.S.

“There is no significant difference between drugs like Prozac and sugar pills,” Merikangas said, citing a research study. “The expectation that you are going to get better by taking a pill is the most powerful thing.”

James Rokop and Deborah Schmidt combed through Marsh’s medical history, interviewing him for hours and coming to similar conclusions, both ruling out psychosis as playing a part in the crime.

Based on Marsh’s level of planning, Schmidt categorized the murders as “predatory aggression,” noting the teen knew what he was doing, and was aware it was wrong. People who are psychotic kill in response to perceived threats, Schmidt added.

Merikangas, who reviewed the same medical records and interviewed Marsh on three separate occasions, came to a different conclusion.

“This is a case of a teen being afflicted by intrusive, compulsive thoughts of harming someone,” he said. “He has a dissociative episode, and he was acting as if he was in a dream. He thought he was in a dream until the reality set in.”

Merikangas questioned the analyses, disagreeing with Rokop and Schmidt’s diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, stating Marsh suffered from nothing more than severe depression.

Along with Marsh’s history, Merikangas has reviewed current medical documents from the Juvenile Hall, after Marsh was weaned off of Zoloft, yet another SSRI.

Victoria Hurd recalls her mother, Claudia Maupin, during the sentencing of Maupin’s killer on Friday at Yolo Superior Court in Woodland. Daniel Marsh will serve 52 years to life in prison. Fred GladdisDavis Enterprise

Daniel William Marsh, the onetime boy hero who saved his father’s life, was sentenced Friday to 52 years to life for brutally murdering an elderly couple in their south Davis home last year.

Yolo Superior Court Judge David W. Reed detailed the horrors in chillingly simple terms as he sentenced Marsh to the maximum of 25 years to life, plus an extra year for use of a knife, one term each for the killings of Oliver “Chip” Northup and Claudia Maupin.

“The murders in this case were brutal, the victims were random. He tortured them and took pleasure in what he had done. He told his friends. He slaughtered Northup and Maupin out of morbid curiosity,” Reed said.

“This is a sad case,” Reed continued. “They did not deserve to die. They did not deserve to be killed by Daniel.”

The sentence followed emotionally raw statements from an extended family devastated by the brutality that visited them in April 2013 and that haunts them still.

Marsh “stabbed, dismembered, dissected and murdered my cherished parents. … His actions are irredeemable” said Victoria Hurd, Maupin’s youngest daughter and a constant presence throughout the trial, calling for the maximum sentence as family and friends crowded the rows of the tiny courtroom. “If he is freed, people will die.”

Marsh, sitting with his attorney, Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Ronald Johnson, his back to the gallery, bowed his head and closed his eyes. Marsh’s father, Bill, and sister, Sarah, occupied a far corner at the back of the courthouse.

As a 12-year-old, Daniel Marsh was honored by a local American Red Cross chapter for saving his father’s life when the elder Marsh suffered a heart attack behind the wheel of the family’s car.

Marsh was 15 when in the predawn hours of April 14, 2013, he dressed in black, donned a shoplifted ski mask, grabbed a hunting knife and set out into the dark, breaking into the home of Northup and Maupin. Marsh stabbed the pair in their bedroom as they awakened, and tortured, then mutilated the couple in a crime so savage that jurors at his murder trial were moved to tears and that prosecutors called it the most heinous they had seen.

“I’ve been a prosecutor for 28 years, and never have I seen a defendant with such an evil soul,” said Michael Cabral, Yolo County assistant chief deputy district attorney and lead prosecutor on the case.

Northup, an attorney and locally popular folk musician, was a Yolo County prosecutor early in his law career who once tried cases in the very courthouse where his killer stood trial. He was 87.

Maupin, 76, was a pastoral associate and spiritual director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis, where Northup was a founding member. The couple would have celebrated their 18-year anniversary in November.

The killings shocked the college town and terrified residents in the weeks after police found the bodies of Northup and Maupin. The gruesome discovery came hours after the two failed to show for a memorial service and a later engagement where Northup was scheduled to perform with his folk band, the Putah Creek Crawdads.

A Yolo Superior Court jury convicted Marsh, now 17, of first-degree murder in September after weeks of disturbing testimony that plumbed Marsh’s mental state in the months and years before the killings and featured Marsh’s marathon confession to authorities that detailed the grisly murders and the exhilaration he felt by committing them.

A counselor testified during the trial that Marsh daydreamed of torture. A state psychologist testified that Marsh studied serial killers. He surfed websites with images of beheadings and disembowelment in the weeks before the killings, investigators testified.

Marsh sought to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, but jurors determined him to be sane at the time of the killings. He was remanded to Yolo County juvenile custody and will be sent to state prison when he turns 18.

One by one on Friday, members of Northup and Maupin’s families remembered the couple for the rich, encompassing lives they shared, the love they had for their families and the November day 18 years ago when they were married.

On their wedding day, the two families stood behind the couple as they recited their vows. Instead of Northup and Maupin saying “I do,” the family, in unison, said “We do.”

They also described the emotional, psychological and financial wreckage Daniel Marsh left in his wake, miles-deep and widespread.

Mary Northup, Chip Northup’s youngest daughter, works just blocks from where Northup and Maupin lived and she saw him daily on her walks before her father’s home became a crime scene sealed with police tape.

She broke down, couldn’t work, struggled to keep the family together. Across town, her son was in middle school, the killer of his grandparents the talk of the town. She pulled her son from school, re-enrolled him at a private school in Sacramento. The costs of a new school, months of intensive therapy and lost wages has totaled more than $80,000. The money she hopes to recoup, but her father is gone.

“My father’s murder ripped him from us,” Mary Northup said. “After watching the defendant for the last year and a half, the only thing he learned is that he should not disclose the details of his next murder. No sentence can bring my parents back.”

Hurd, who saw her mother’s and Northup’s bodies carried away by medical examiners, said she’ll never forget the sound of her daughter’s screams over the phone when she heard the terrible news. Hurd’s sister discovered the bodies with Davis police.

“My sister lost her mind that day,” Hurd said. “It has not come back.”

When the family was finally able to enter the home to carry away effects, Hurd found blood on furniture that crime-scene cleaning crews had missed. She sobs in her sleep when she does sleep.

“The ramifications of this gruesome crime are unending,” Hurd said.

James Northup, Chip Northup’s son, battling the ravages of Lou Gehrig’s disease, rose from his wheelchair to address the court. A week before the killings, the Northup family hosted a baby shower to celebrate the birth of James’ granddaughter and Chip’s great-granddaughter.